Students practice their reading comprehension by reading a story in their class. In this story map instructional activity, students read the Marc Brown book Arthur's Tooth and discuss the story, characters and setting. Students create a...

What makes a novel a novel? Class members select a favorite novel, record their impressions on a worksheet, and then come together in groups to discuss the elements common to narrative writing. Next, they identify the characters, the...

Young scholars practice sound and recognition of letters in alphabetical sequence. They gain an understanding of letter sounds and order. They create a slide show with graphics and text. They present their slide show to the class.

Ninth graders take note of the ways in which word choice, rhythm, language and narrative voice, as well as point of view in a poem can be used to evoke a time and place. They use their insights to create a poem of their own.

In this first of four lessons on book design, students are introduced to the vocabulary of book design through the use of bookwalks and a non-linear PowerPoint presentation in game-show (Jeopardy!) format.

Fourth and fifth graders define the term media literacy, then come up with examples that they share with the class. The types of media studied are auditory, visual, and written. Learners get together in pairs and perform a media...

Most teachers and scholars look for a way to simplify information. Informational how-to slides simplify the process of technical writing into a step-by-step process. Learners gather information on what to do, as well as what to avoid....

Albert Bierstadt's painting Wind River Country shows viewers how a reader progresses through a story. Your class studies the light and dark areas, how the eye moves across the painting, and what attracts the audience to the work, and...

This plan centers around the article "How Advertisers Persuade," although it is not included in the lesson itself. Get your class thinking about advertising, appeals, and techniques that companies use to get their products from the shelf...

Why are some so resistant to change? The status quo is often to blame for a lack of forward movement in society. Following the events of World War I, women in America suddenly had a voice—and were going to use it. Scholars use the...

Students investigate the writings of Thoreau. They read passages orally and look for words of imagery in the text. Students also answer a series of questions and they convert passages of writing into theatrical presentations in order to...

Fifth graders explore use of computers. They use technology tools to collect, analyze and display data. Students create and format a document using word processing. They participate in a curriculum-based telecommunications project.

Students, in groups, complete a WebQuest titled "Love Canal Debate". They follow the WebQuest to research and write papers on different points of view regarding the Love Canal environmental disaster.

Students complete a unit of lessons on web pages and web page creation. They conduct Internet research, identify the characteristics of effective and ineffective websites, construct a glossary of terms, and develop three web pages.

Sixth graders conduct research on the internet to discover the principles of drawing using one and two point perspectives. After examining street scenes by Edward Hopper and postcards of Main Street USA in Disney, they write about and...

How can you spot a credible source? What even makes a resource reliable in the first place? Answer some of these questions with this presentation. Although intended for higher education, this PowerPoint could be modified for middle...

Advertisers target teenagers. Groups select three magazine advertisements for similar products, analyze the appeals used in each, create a poster that features the persuasive techniques used, and present their findings to the class. The...

Explore the sounds, importance, and effectiveness of dialect in literature.  Active participants read, listen to poetry, and explore dialect by developing a formal definition, discuss the benefits of its use, complete a Venn diagram...

Students complete a graphic organizer reviewing Barb Hoffman's prior lesson," Slave Songs (1840-1876)" as well as listen to and discuss Delta Blues music samples. Students research one Delta Blues singer and write a "color coded"...

Students examine the art and work of Carl Runguis. After reading a play, they discuss how an artist portrays his feelings about a topic in his work. They view the preplay and write an essay reflecting on their experiences. They also...

Students examine the writing process. They determine the needs of the readers of their story before writing. They use peer-editing to check for errors and read their story to the class.

Students examine the society and culture during the times of the Civil Rights movement. They view video clips and answer comprehension questions. They work together to research different authors and musicians sharing their information...

High schoolers read a novel related to their geographical area and "Gone With The Wind". Using the first novel, they use the internet to research one aspect from it and relate it to their location today. They create a Hyperstudio or...

Students create a book report in a bag. They include items that explain the elements of the story and share them with the class.